DEAD BUT NOW ALIVE

Really I must have died and passed on to the other side of Jordan because the first picture I took thereafter on a Sunday looked more like that of a Ghost than of a human. It was so real. Secondly, I could still recount the experience of seeing my spirit leaving my body, it was so real. I watched on as my young wife cried on, too shocked to pray. It was barely a month after she just got married. This cannot be happening for real. Her husband can't just die like that. The only response she has got for this wasn't prayers but tears! I pity her as I watched her crying.

And just when I thought I was about reaching yonder unto the gates of eternity there and then there was a wrestling away from the force that was carrying me by another powerful but gentle force! Few seconds after I opened eyes on this side of life with wifey still lost in her tears unaware of the miracle of resuscitation that had taken place! It took a gentle tap to bring her back to a shocking but welcomed reality of what had happened!

The force was self-quickening, but also it was a life-giving force! Because from there all the sickness that once held me bound all disappeared! A new lease of life was granted! "For if the Spirit of him that raised Christ from the dead dwelleth in you, that same Spirit will quicken your mortal bodies.."(Romans 8:11)

My body was quickened and also received God's life!

It was years after as my spiritual understanding grew that I got to know what happened - the resurrection power was at work in my mortal body, self-quickening and also life-giving! Hallelujah! We see this power at work in Ezekiel 37!

First, the situation report. Ezekiel 37:1-3, “The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, 2 And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. 3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest”

Ezekiel 37 was a demonstration of the resurrection power at work! In the valley of just dry bones, Ezekiel saw the self-quickening and life-giving power of God at work! The bones were very dry at first but as he learned to engage the resurrection power of the Spirit a mighty army arose from the dry valley. He prophesied as commanded, the Spirit of God, the resurrection power went to work on its own, gathering the bones, laying the sinews on it, until the valley of dry bones became the birth ground of a great force!(Ezekiel 37:11)!

Ezekiel 37:10-14, ‘10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. 11 Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. 12 Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 13 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, 14 And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD’

And God said thereafter to Israel, and to you, that what I did in the valley of dry bones is what I will do to you, 'I will open up your graves, you will come out of the dead, and I will put my spirit in you so you can live again'.(Ezekiel 37:12-14)! I will quicken you and enliven you by my Spirit saith thee Lord!

The resurrection power is the self-quickening and life-giving power of God! It can be self-activated! It was the Spirit and power that raised Jesus from the dead! And that same power is resident in you! Hallelujah!!

The resurrection power we can infer brings restoration. The valley of dryness became restored to a valley of greatness, from here dead bones became a living army! That same power lives in you now! Amen.

The resurrection is the power behind all that Christianity stands for today, without it our faith is fake and in vain. Let no one confuse you, therefore, we are alive because Christ is risen! It's the reason many other religions fight this truth and refuse to believe it! Not believing the truth doesn't render it powerless or invalid, the truth is the truth: Christ is raised!

The resurrection, therefore, is not a theology, neither is it a religious story! The resurrection is the manifestation of God's supernatural power for the restoration of our dignity! At his death and his resurrection, the power of God went into full force. The Bible records it this way.

"Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many".(Matthew 27:50-53).

The "exceeding greatness of his power" was wrought here when he raised Jesus from the dead, causing the graves of the saints to open up. The veil of the temple was rent in two and Gods power was at work to restore the lost dignity of humanity!

His resurrection was important to our restoration!

Romans 5:14-17 sheds light on this that up until the coming, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, death reigned over all! But as soon as Christ stepped into the sin, death gave way to life! What we lost in the first Adam, the last Adam came to restore! The original intention of God's for man was total dominion (Genesis 1:26), but this mandate was lost to sin and thereby sin and all its vices: sickness, disease, failure, and poverty reigned! But through Christ, his death and resurrection we can reign in life again! (Romans 5:17)

Romans 5:17, ‘For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ’

His resurrection brought and bought back our dominion mandate! So Paul advised, 'for ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.'(1 Corinthians 6:20)

Whatever does not reflect the glory of the risen Christ is taken off your life today! Amen!

KEYS TO POWER - DAY 18 DEVOTIONAL

THE DEVIL NEVER REALLY KNEW WHAT WAS ...

PETER ADESHINA BABALOLA(PAB) is a lover of God and a teacher of His word. His 20 years in ministry has seen him served as a pastor in major ministries in Nigeria where he planted and pastored many churches across the nation.
From Port Harcourt to Uyo to Akure to Lagos, PAB has been privileged to affect lives through the preaching and teaching of the word.
An insightful teacher and writer, PAB writes for blogs and magazines across the nation as well teaching the word across the length and breadth of the land and beyond.
Reach PAB by mail: pab@powertalk.com.ng 08087872077 facebook.com/peter adeshina babalola. twitter/pabspeaks